Hoisting apparatus



Oct. 16, 1928. l r

' H. R. SMITH EI'AL -.HOISTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 19, 1923 3 Shoots-Sheet 1 A TTORNE m H. R. SMITH ET AL HOISTING APPARATUS Oct. 16, 1928.

Filed Nov. 19, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 11v VEN 7085 A 'ITORNE Y5 Oct. 16, 1928.

H. R. SMITH ET AL HOI STI NG APPARATUS Filed No v. 19, 1925' a Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS v A TTORNE r Patented Oct. 7 15, 1928.

UNITED PATENT OFF-ICE- HE A R. sMIrn, onimooxLy nn PAUL n. CASE, or PELHAM MANOR, NEW

ooni onarrou or MA'S SAQ UQPFFS YORK, ASSIGNORS trooimnmis aleow'co urauy, or Bos'roN, MASSACHUSETTS, A

nors rme Arr narns.

Application*filedliovember 19, 1923. serial'lq'o. 675,563.

This invention relates tohoisting apparatus and its chief ohje'ctis to provide apparatus of simple and inexpensive construetion,"- whichcan be readily trans portedfronr place to place. A further object 18 to provide a ho1st1ngapparatus, actuatedhy compressed air,'which is tion designed particularly for use n hoisting;

earth fromexcavationsmadefor concretelfoun elation-piers, piles, columns, and the like, but itis to he understood that'thefinvention is'not limited to such use; but, can ;be employed to advantage for numerous other purposes.

' The embodiment .iust mentioned illustrated in the accompanying ."drawings, in

Fig. ;1' is aside view. ofthehoistingapparatus, with the upper part in section onl ino 1 "1,of,Fig. 3.

Fig.2 is adetail side viewofthe 'upperpart of the V a tiparatus, showing .thelbrake 'mechw nism omitted from Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation from the left of Fig. 2.

Fig. A: is'a detail view, somewhat diagramnism and brake mechanism. 5

Fig. 1 is adetail side viewshowing-a modification. v i I ,Fig. ,5 is a detail, section of part of the brake cylinder. J

Figs. 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, .12, 13 and'M-are diagrammatic views illustrating various 'operative positions of the hoisting apparatus and ofthe valve mechanismi'by"which its operation is-controlled. I. Tnthe apparatus shown, the variousoperativeparts are mounted on' a frame .in'the form of a-tripo'd composed of legs 10,111,12, detachably connected at the top in any convenient and suitable way, as by-means of a bolt13. The legsll and 12 are of the'telescoping type, as: indicated, so that they can be readily shortened or lengthened to accommodate thestructure to uneven ground. .111 the di-awingsthe apparatus is shown arranged over a pit .1 1 from which excavated material is to be'hoisted.

Leg is composed of two members (1n the present instance channel irons) as indicated in Fig- 3, provided at the top With bearings-for the shaft 15, on Which the hoisting drunilti and the driving pinion 17 are fixed. Theilatter is rotated, and with it the shaftand drum, by a rack-18 reciprocated'bya piston rod'19 connected to the piston20 in the fluid-pressure cylinder 21.

23, Figs. 1' and 2, and is protected by'alU- shaped guard24. The-shaft 15 also carries a"bra'li(edrum 25, Figs. 2, '3 and 4;encirclcd by a flexible brake band 26, one endof which is fixed and the"other}connected to the piston 27 of a fluid pressurebrake eymideres) mounted on 1 ,1 H

admissionand exhaust of compressed air (orother fluid) toand -froni the hoisting cylinder- 21 and brakecyliiiderj28 are conj The rack is kept in mesh the pinioribya roller 22 mounted inabracket trolledby suitable valve mechanismfin the; i 1 present instanfee 'a pair of three-Way valves 30,31 connected to each other and to the cylinders,and to the source of compressed air,

32, to valve-"31 by"pipe 34, and to the source of-compressed air represented pipe ;fwhi'le valve 31 ,is connected to the lower end of the hoistingi cylinder a' The brake piston 27 "is raisedyto re V {So by suit'able' pipingl *V-aIVe'SO isconne'ct'ed to the upper end-=01 the two cylinder-shy ,pipes' v Pip 3 ease the brake, hy'a spring 27, and above'the piston the=brakecylinder is provided with a vent 38,-Ifig1 1, for slow escap'eef air undercer tain OOHdll'ilOnS, as i'ex'plained hereinafter.

This vent- "isprcferably formed in" a hollow plug- 3 9, Fi 5-,,sc1-ewed into the cylinder so thatanother having, a'larger or smaller openin'g can be readily substituted when necessary or' desirable'lp The hoisti'ngreceptacle or bucketf lQ is releasably suspended,asby means oflahoo k {11, on the cable 'or'line 42, which winds onthe .In the modified form of driving mechanism i Hit! shown in Fig. f the rack and pinion areietion, as in Fig. 11.

placed by a cable 52 connected to the piston rod 19, and a small actuating drum 53 on which the cable is wound, so that as the rod is retracted the drum 53 and the shaft carrying the hoisting drum 16 will be rotated.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 6 to 14, inclusive.

Assuming that the bucket is to be hoisted from the excavation (see Fig. 6),, the Valves are turned to the positions shown in Fig. 7, valve connecting the air supply pipe to pipe 32 and blocking pipe 33, and valve 31 connecting pipe 36 to exhaust pipe 43 and blocking pipe 34. Compressed air now enters the upper end of the hoisting cylinder and retracts the rack 18, thereby rotating the drum 16 and winding the line 42 thereon. At the same time air exhausts from the lower end of the cylinder through pipes 36 and 43. As the bucket approaches or reaches the unloading position the valves are turned to the positions shown in Fig. 8. Pipes 32, 34 and 36 are thus closed and air supply pipe 35 is connected to pipe 33, through which 'air is delivered to the brake cylinder, thereby applying the brake and arresting the hoisting drum, the air below the brake piston escaping through a suitable vent, not shown. The bucket is now pulled over to the side and the valves are turned to the positions shown in Fig. 10, in which the two ends of the hoisting cylinder are connected through pipes 32, 34 and 36, and the air to the brake cylinder shut off. The air previously admitted to the latter now exhausts slowly through the vent 38 ig. 4), permitting the spring 27, Fig. 4, to ease oil the brake and allow the loaded bucket to descend slowly to the side of the pit, as in Fig. 9. The bucket having been emptied or a previously emptied bucket substituted,-the lower valve 31-is turned to the position shown in Fig. 12 (valve 30 remaining as in Fig. 10). The lower end of the hoisting cylinder is thus connected to exhaust pipe 43,whereu pon the expansion of the coinpressed air trapped in'the upper part of the cylinder, above the piston, retracts the rack and raises the empty bucket off the ground and allows it to swing back over the excava- Leaving valve 30 as it was, valve 31 is turned to the position shown in Figs. 14 and 10, thus restoring the condition illustrated in the latter figure, in which the two ends of the cylinder are connected. The empty bucket then descends as inFig. 13, the air from the upper end of the cylinder merely flowing to the other end. The workman in the pit having loaded the bucket or substituted a previously loaded bucket, the cycle described is repeated.

To prevent accidents due to failure to ma. nipulate the valves at the proper time as the bucket is rising, which might result in jamming the bucket into the top of the tripod,

an automatic stop-mechanisin is provided, by which movement of the bucket above a predetermined position will shut off the air from the hoisting cylinder and apply the brake. The preferred mechanism for the purpose comprises a ring or eye 45, Figs. 1 and 4, suspended by a cable 46 and yieldingly connected to the handle 47 of valve 30 (Fig. 4) by means of a spring 48 and chain 49, the latter running through a tubular guide 50. The hoist line 42 runs through the ring and at a Suit? able point is'provided with an adjustable clip 51 too large to pass through the ring.

Assuming that in Fig. 1 the valves are in the positions shown in Fig. 7, the bucket is then rising, and if the operator should-"fail to throw the upper valve to the position shown in Fig. 8 the bucket would continue to rise and might be jammed between the hoisting drum and the top or the tripod. Before that can happen, however, the clip 51-meets the ring 45 and raises the latter,-first stretch ing spring 48 somewhat and then drawing chain 49 through the guide 50, thereby rocking valve 30 over to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which the air from pipe 35 is shut off from the hoisting cylinder and delivered through pipe 33 to the brake cylinder. Slight additional upward movement of the bucket, due to expansion of the air trapped in the hoisting cylinder before the braketakes hold, is permitted by the yield otspring 48, but in any case the bucket is arrested before it reaches a dangerous position. It will of course be understood that in practise the length of the chain 49 and the position of the guide 50 are'so related as to leave sufficient slack to permit turning the valve clockwise, by hand, to the positions shown in Figs. 8 and 10. a y

The construction herein illustrated anddescribed gives good results but the invention canbe embodied in other forms'without departure from its spirit as defined by the fol lowing claims.

We claim: g 1. In a hoisting apparatus, in combination, a. supporting structure, a hoisting drum carried thereby, a pinion to rotate the drum, a rack meshing with the pinion to rotate the same, fluid pressure mechanism to reciprocate the rack, fluid pressure brake mechanism associat'ed with the hoisting drum, and manually operable valve mechanism common to said fluid pressure mechanisms to control the same.

2. In a hoisting apparatus, in combination, a supporting structure, a mechanism carried thereby for hoisting a load, having an actuating pinion, a reciprocating rack meshing with the pinion. to rotate the same, a fluid pressure hoisting cylinder having a reciprocating piston connected with the rack to actuate the same, brake mechanism cooperating with the hoisting drum, a fluid pressure brake cylinder having a reciprocating piston connected with the brake mechanism to actuate the same, and means for controlling the supply and exhaust oi fluid pressure, comprising a valve connected with the brake cylinder and with one end of the hoisting cylinder, and a valve c0nnected with the first mentioned valve and with the other end of the hoisting cylinder.

In a hoisting apparatus, in combination, a supporting structure, a mechanism carried thereby for hoisting a load, having an actuating pinion, a reciprocating rack meshing with the pinion to rotate the same, a fluid pressure hoisting cylinder having a reciprocating piston connected with the rack to actuate the same, brake mechanism cooperating with the hoisting drum, a fluid pressure brake cylinder having a reciprocating piston connected with the brake. mechanism to actuate the same, and means for controlling the supply and exhaust of fluid pressure, compri ing a pair of man.- ually operable three-way valves connected with each other and with said cylinders.

i. In a hoisting apparatus, in combination, a supporting structure, a mechanism carried thereby for hoisting a load, having an actuating p nion, a reciprocating rack meshing with the pinion to rotate the same, a fluid pressure hoisting cylinder having a reciprocating piston connected with the rack to actuate the same, brake mechanism cooperatin with the hoisting drum, a fluid pressure brake cylinder having a reciprocating piston connected with the brake mechanism to actuate the same, means for controlling the supply and exhaust of fluid pressure, comprising a pair of manually operable three-way valves connected with each other and with said cylinders, and load-actuated mechanism for operating said controlling means to arrest the loadwhen the latter passes a predetermined position in its travel. I

5. In a hoisting appartus, in combination, a tripod adapted tobe positioned over an excavation, a drum for hoisting a load, mounted in. the upper part of the tripod, a pinion associated with the drum to rotate the same, a reciprocating rack meshing with the pinion to rotate the same, a fluid pressure cylinder having a piston to reciprocate the rack, brake mechanism associated with the hoisting drum, a fluid pressure cylinder having a piston con nected with the brake mechanism to actuate the same, manually operable fluid pressure controlling means for said cylinders, and mechanism actuated by movement of the load past a predetermined position to actuate said controlling means and thereby arrest the load.

In testimony whereof we hereto aflix our signatures.

HERMAN B. SMITH. PAUL 1). CASE. 

